27.— THE TEACHING OF BOTANY. 



Bv H. H. W. Pearson, M.A., F.L.S., Professor of Botany, 

 South African College, Cape Town. 



J should offer a word of explanation, if not of apology, for in- 

 troducing to the notice of Section B a paper bearing this title. Among 

 the objects of this association as stated in the constitution are : To 

 give a stronger impulse and a more systematic direction to scientific 

 enquiry; and to obtain a more general attention to the objects of 

 jjure and applied science. An interest in the Scientific Education 

 of the country appears to be included in these projects. I believe 

 that efficient and highly successful botanical teaching has for some- 

 time been carried on in more than one educational centre in the 

 Colony. A new departure is however being made in Cape Town, 

 and as opinions as to the best methods of teaching the subject are 

 by no means uniform, it seemed to me that it would be of advantage 

 to me. and perhaps not without interest to the section, if I should 

 give a general outline of the course which I propose to adopt. 

 Among the members of the section are well-known South African- 

 ■ Botanists and experienced teachers, of whose criticisms I shall be 

 glad to avail myself. 



At the outset we have the question : what should be the aim of 

 botanical teaching? The answer, I think, is in general terms: (i) to 

 give to the students the best mental training which the subject is 

 calculated to afford and (2) to furnish them with that knowledge of 

 the subject which will be of the greatest use to them. With these 

 aims before us, the problem is to map out such a course of study 

 as is best calculated to realise them. 



Botany is commonly described as an " observational " Science. 

 Properly studied there is no doubt that it is eminently calculated to 

 train the student in habits of exact observation — habits whose im- 

 portance in practical life is as obvious as is the fact that they are 

 remarkably deficient among educated people. 



This is the first principle which should guide us in our methods 

 of instniction. In the study of plants the student must learn his facts- 

 from plants, and not from the text-books or the teacher. This is a 

 law, as of the Medes and Persians, and the only pretext on which it 

 may be broken is the inability to obtain suitable material. That 

 this may occur as rarely as possible it is imperative that the teacher 

 should have access to a botanic garden of some kind ano some voice 

 in the selection of plants grown for teaching purposes. It will usually 

 be impracticable for him to obtain his specimens from the field. 

 Wherever possible the student should see fresh material ; but even 

 in this climate there will frequently be occasions on which fresh 

 specimens must be replaced by those preserved in spirit. Another 



